Nicholas Rapon, Forked River
The Affordable Care Act offers unique benefits for the uninsured and helps New Jersey take strides in mending our troubled economy.
Expanding Medicaid will give over 300,000 uninsured New Jerseyans access to health coverage. Currently, one in four New Jersey adults without dependents does not have health coverage. Additionally, small businesses in New Jersey would be more readily capable of providing health insurance to their employees. This would give our state a competitive edge in retaining and gaining employees over neighboring states without Medicaid expansion. Without Medicaid expansion, many of New Jersey’s small businesses will still only be able to provide half of their staff with health coverage.
Expansion will also help to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health insurance coverage. As it stands, 33 percent of Hispanics and 24 percent of African Americans are uninsured. These rates more than double the 10 percent of uninsured white New Jerseyans.
Medicaid expansion is crucial to those who need health coverage and could play a role in restoring our state’s economy. Gov. Christie needs to know that Medicaid needs to be expanded.
Nicholas Rapon
AARP New Jersey Volunteer
Forked River
